Metal Roof Without Battens

Standing seam metal roof installed on solid decking.

Metal roof without battens.

If you want to add a metal roof to your structure metal battens will be a part of the project. It all depends on the manufacturer s recommended installation. So whichever way you go it s important to choose the right product and install it per manufacturer specifications. Over the years a problem has developed with metal roofing installed over battens.

Todd miller has spent his entire career in the metal building products manufacturing industry. As a do it yourself homeowner you can save on the cost of installing a tin roof. By design some metal roofs must be installed over battens some must never be installed over battens and some can be installed over battens or solid decking. This is because the metal panels touch the underlayment which touches the decking and cold is transmitted by conductance.

As metal roofing systems were developed in this country starting originally with hand formed panels and then machine fabricated corrugated sheets the focus was on systems which could be installed over battens. Battens are almost always used on modern metal roofs. In the case of metal roofs getting the longevity out of them relies heavily on the batten placement. Note that you can have a metal roof without battens.

Battens are not something most people give a lot of thought to.